I didn’t quite gel with Sue Maskaleris (website) and her new album Love Is the Key on first listen. This is a concept album that borrows heavily from musical theater structures and storytelling tropes, and her approach the libretto seems influenced by Sondheim’s often chaotic “I’m gonna tell the entire story through the lyrics” school of songwriting. I was asked by a friend to take a second listen, however, and that’s so often the secret to enjoying so many contemporary jazz albums–listening in a different mood and hearing something again, but for the first time. It’s a recurring theme in my reviews, which is why I listen to everything at least twice. Why did I change my mind about Sue Maskaleris? First, the sheer ambition she shows in the execution of this project is quite impressive–she composes and arranges the music, writes her own lyrics, sings and plays piano. That’s not enough to make me change my mind, but it does show me that she’s driven by something deep, something you hear more in her piano than in her voice. She does have a lovely and sunny voice, tinged with optimism, and perhaps the carefree attitude she wears when she’s [...]
Weiterlesen: Sue Maskaleris, Love Is the Key | The Vinyl Anachronist